Century -- is it worth it?

[brightonguys]

I see that there are some really good prices on 4 and 5 night Century cruises in January (a prime time to get out of Boston!), but the real deals are on inside cabins. I've always wanted to try Celebrity to see if it was really that much nicer than the other mainstream lines and was thinking this would be a good and easy introduction at a great price, but I wonder how much I'll miss the balcony. I keep thinking it wouldn't be that big a deal on a 4 night cruise, but I'm having trouble convincing my better half of that. Any thoughts are much appreciated!!

[greeneg]

I have to admit that my own bias is pretty strongly towards longer cruises. The packing, getting ready, going to the airport and getting to the ship just seem to me to be inefficient; not to mention that the airfare is the same for a longer rather than a shorter cruise.

 

Of course, you also have to consider where the ship is going and do you want to go there and how badly......individuals have different preferences and there is no "wrong" answer in my book.

 

Just what I think, but I would try very hard to make a longer experience happen.

[Andy]

I see that there are some really good prices on 4 and 5 night Century cruises in January (a prime time to get out of Boston!), but the real deals are on inside cabins. I've always wanted to try Celebrity to see if it was really that much nicer than the other mainstream lines and was thinking this would be a good and easy introduction at a great price, but I wonder how much I'll miss the balcony. I keep thinking it wouldn't be that big a deal on a 4 night cruise, but I'm having trouble convincing my better half of that. Any thoughts are much appreciated!!

 

Hi Brightonguys !

 

It is very hard to say if you will be ok with an inside cabin vs. a balcony cabin, as that is a personal preference. For a short cruise, I feel it would be a good time to experiment ! If you do not care for the inside cabin, you only have to deal with it for 4 nights.

 

As for Century itself, I was on the ship last week, and we had a wonderful time. Celebrity did a great job upgrading the ship. I do not think you will be disappointed.

 

If the price is right ? I would go for it. Enjoy your Cruise !

[brightonguys]

Thanks Andy and Ed -- much appreciated. We are taking a longer cruise in February on Princess, so this one would be just kind of an extra. I agree that it would be a great time to experiment for a minimum cost and committment (flights from Boston to Ft. Lauderdale are really cheap, too). We're totally sold on cruising, but want to figure out which line to "commit" to over the long haul in order to get those frequent cruiser benefits I keep reading about. :) I've heard such good things about Celebrity's service and food and other niceties, I figure it would be fun enough even if we did have to spend our nights in a dark room.

[greeneg]

One of the problems that I have, and it does color my perspective, is that living here in Charlotte, with USAirways providing 95% of the service, there ARE no cheap flights out of Charlotte to almost anywhere that you would want to go....Charlotte is US Air's largest and Caribbean Hub, but if you are a local passenger you have to be prepared to pay.....and pay.....

 

Have a great time.

 

Ed

[Tatka]

I loved Century (Princess my #2 cruise line), and we'll sail on her again in April, we will be driving.

 

One thing I'd like to say is with our (Boston) winters, I'd fly 1 or even 2 days prior.

 

I was in outside cabin on Century and in inside on Mercury - they both were fine. 174-5 sq.ft.

 

They upgraded Century with new flat screen TV, great gym etc.

[slotaddict]

Brightonguys,

It is absolutely worth it. I booked an inside cabin on a high floor at a very reasonable price. About 6 weeks before the cruise, there was a price drop, I would have paid half the price for the inside but instead I upgraded to a CC class which had a balcony. It was a very good value. As Andy said it is a great ship and will not disappoint. We did the 5 night, and of course were wishing we could have stayed longer but it was a treat neverless. I will said the Century again.

[LuvCeleb]

You can't go wrong wtih the rock bottom prices that Celebrity is offering on the Century. Wife and myself was on her two weeks and had a wonderful time. She is beautiful, service was great, and food was outstanding! Give it try. I think you will be very happy. I would go for the inside cabin since this will be your first cruise. You just can't beat the prices..

[brightonguys]

sounds like it's unanimous that the revamped Century is a great ship! And that 4 or 5 nights will not be enough (but then, is 7 either?!). :) I'll do my best to convince the other half and see if we can't get this booked for a January getaway. Thanks again to all for your input.

[wiselindag]

Brightonguys,

 

Just wanted to add my two cents. I was with Andy on the 11/27 sailing... my third on Century and my 19th overall. You can't go wrong with the rock-bottom prices they are currently asking for Century. This is a terrific ship and for the money, it's a fabulous ship.

 

Just a few ideas for your "other half," how about free, unlimited, very good sushi every night for a pre-dinner appetizer? Flat screen television, new cabin decor, new sinks (fancy, indeed), a beautiful new martini bar, three production shows with an excellent cast in five nights at sea, professional service from the cabin attendant and the dining room staff each and every day, helpful folks even in the buffet area (where some lines can let you down in my experience!), and on it goes. I've sailed inside, outside, and on this cruise even CC (cheap prices!) and I've enjoyed each and every cruise I've taken, but none more than on Celebrity ships.

 

I hope you can convince her to go on the short cruise and then book a longer one on Celebrity next time.

 

Enjoy and best regards,

Linda

[darrencantwait]

Hey Brightonguys -- seems like you're doing the right thing. People can be very set in their ways and preferences on stateroom categories. Some insist anything other than an inside is a waste, since they utilize so many of the ship's ammenities. Others insist that they cannot live without their veranda, the chance to step outside anytime, and in privacy. All reasonings are valid for those individuals.

 

We are pretty devoted to our veranda's. However, prices for Enchantment from NYC to Halifax were cheap, and we wanted to see the newly stretched Enchantment, and have a quick getaway in the summer. We booked an inside on this 4 nighter. It was completely tolerable. Sure, we've continued to book verandas since then. But, I wouldn't hesitate to book another inside, if that was the difference between taking the cruise and NOT taking the cruise.

 

Also...there have been a lot of price drops and upgrades on Century recently. We're taking a little 2-nighter to the Bahamas (to meet up with some friends). We booked a Concierge Class, and the suite guarantees just dropped below the price of our CC stateroom, so we changed our booking to the Suite Guarantee, got $50 back and a Sky Suite! Relay that to your better half. ;)